May-July 2006

Nancy and Bob Murdock, Editors - murmuse@comcast.net

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CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE:


SAN DIEGO TRIP (Nancy Murdock) Click

OUR JOSHUA TREE TRIP (Nancy Murdock) Click

WHITTIER AREA REVISITED (Bob Murdock) Click

VISITS AROUND THE L.A. AREA (Nancy Murdock) Click

HEADING UP THE COAST (Nancy Murdock) Click

FINAL STOP - REDWOOD CITY (Nancy Murdock) Click

HOMEWARD BOUND (Nancy Murdock) Click

Part 2

APRIL FOOLS (Arthur Murdock) Click

BIRTH OF JESSICA (Lori Howlett) Click

TOUR OF DUTY - ITALY (Timothy Murdock) Click

THE DAY AFTER (Darrel Murdock) Click

GENE'S HOME (Gene Murdock) Click

GENE'S PROJECTS (Gene Murdock) Click

BECOMING AN OCTOGENARIAN (Bob Murdock) Click

Muse Editors 2006
Photo by Natalie


2006 quilt,
"Shelley's
Log Cabins"
Full size photo
in Quilt Gallery




San Diego
view from
Marriott


SAN DIEGO TRIP
Nancy Murdock


The NACHA 2006 conference at the San Diego Convention Center (May 7-May 10) was excellent, and I picked up many pieces of information about updates in banking and global business, including sessions on risk management, money laundering, and terrorists. The speakers were excellent, and the awards luncheon was fabulous. I had the best vegetarian restaurant meal I can recall, next to the one in Kyoto, Japan, in 1990.

But what made the trip extraordinary was the family times. Many, many thanks go to Marjorie, Robb, Carol, Don, Christel, Robert, Caroline, Anthony, Dee, Payton, and Riley for making our stay in San Diego such an enjoyable memory!

Marjorie Hanson began the kindness with an offer to pick us up at the airport on Saturday, May 6. She instructed us to go get our luggage and then go out to the sidewalk to wait for her. She gave us her cell phone number. She would circle the pickup area until she could see us. We didn’t recognize her at first. Although she has had her 80th birthday, it looked as if maybe she was 60. She has her hair lighter now and in a very nice hairdo. But the big change is that she no longer wears glasses, which had been a part of her since she was 12 years old! Since her heart attack, she has lost weight, but she certainly is in good form! And her talent for managing events is remarkable.

She told us she couldn’t figure why we had told them all this was very possibly our last trip to CA. She would like to travel to Australia. We would hear variations on this theme all during our visits with relatives, so we stopped thinking of ourselves as too far past it to travel any more. But it won’t likely be Australia!

Here are a few of our happy memories of San Diego.

The boat trip around the Bay. What a memorable evening! The Bay was, as usual, beautiful, and the company couldn't have been better. We appreciated their pointing out all the features, such as the USS Midway and USS Nimitz. It was a pleasure to watch the captain's handling of Marjorie’s boat and his teaching of the children. Robert, as well as his two stepsons Anthony and Dee, did a fine job of steering us around the Bay. It was all very interesting, and later in our vacation we were delighted to be able to name the home base of the USS Ronald Reagan when a question came up.

The "Barbecue." This was not dimmed in any way by not being outdoors. It was fun to make use of all the great foods brought in by Marjorie, Christel, and Christel’s friend Liza. It was enjoyable using the nice kitchen in the condo and taking in the gorgeous scenery of the bridge from that height. It was both relaxing and stimulating to talk with all of them and catch up on what each one is doing.

But what will always top off the evening in my memory was the gymnastics exhibit by Payton and Riley, Robert’s two youngest. Unbelievable! I love to tell the story to anyone who will listen, as I demonstrate how first Payton, not quite five (and having had some gymnastics training), and then Riley, (two and a half years old) each in turn pointed the toe, raised the hand, and did a perfect roll!

Sampling the local restaurants. I don't recall the restaurant names, but we enjoyed going to one on stiltson the Bay; a family buffet (which Marjorie chose so we could have another visit with the great-grandchildren); and a Mexican one (which we understand is Robb Hanson's favorite). Each place was a different experience. Of course, it wouldn't be nearly as much fun for just the two of us. Their companionship was a great Our stay at the condo. Marjorie owns eight lovely condos, which she rents only by the month. So we stayed overnight Wednesday in one that hadn’t rented for May. It's a very nice place on the 15th floor, overlooking the Coronado Bridge, which is about as pretty as any bridge can be. The Marriott was fine, but this was even nicer. We had an amusing time trying to find a breakfast place, since we turned the wrong way at the street. But that was an adventure, ending up at the Navy station. And it gave us a chance to finish off some leftovers we had accumulated during the week. (Waste not, want not, you know!)

A chance to talk with each of our family members. It was great to have an opportunity to talk with each of them and catch up on their year. Caroline is doing a great job of learning to groom dogs at Marjorie’s kennel. Robert is adopting Caroline's two sons, Anthony and Dee, and they have chosen to change their name to Murdock. Robert enjoyed coaching their football team this school year. Carol and her friend Don spend every other weekend at Big Bear, visiting with his children. And I appreciated Robb's take on various things, such as the new fence that is being built near his home south of San Diego. Does the word “Border” give you some clues?

Drives around Coronado and San Diego. It was great to sit in comfort and have someone else drive us around to see the high spots. I especially liked hearing the history of the Hanson family’s life in the area (especially Coronado) and seeing the places that had been important in their lives. And Don did a fine job of pointing out specific buildings of historic interest in San Diego. I think we might like to get a book on that city’s development and architecture.

Meeting our four great-children!!! This was a high point for both of us. We will now have a picture in our minds when we think of them. And it was good to learn what they are each interested in. Four great kids, whom we are pleased to have on our family tree. They have a lovely mother, and Robert is doing a really great job of being a good father to each of them.

It was a great week, and I will never forget our San Diego 2006 trip!



OUR JOSHUA TREE TRIP
Nancy Murdock


On Thursday (May 11) we left in our rental car after lunch, heading for my cousin Carl (Chip) Martz’s house in Redlands. Carol and Don had given us good directions on how to get to the freeway to start our trip. Everything went smoothly until we made a wrong turn in Redlands. Finally, after a couple of botched attempts to straighten things out ourselves, Carl told us where to stop and wait for him to come guide us. (Are you beginning to see why we speak of not going on any more trips?)

We had a delightful time at his home. He is an excellent host, giving up his bedroom and bath to married guests. I felt guilty, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying a good night of sleep. He fixed us a good breakfast, including absolutely seedless Ruby Red grapefruit from his own trees.

We packed a lunch and drove to Joshua Tree National Park, one of our very favorite places in the world. Carl had never been there, even though it is only 50 miles from his home. We felt privileged to be the ones to show this national treasure to him.

We went in the south entrance, near the oasis. This used to be a stopping point for anyone bringing cattle through the area. The water comes from a break in the rock, compliments of an aeons-ago earthquake. After going to the office and buying T-shirts, bookmarks, and a pamphlet, we went to the oasis and took some pictures of us and the local denizens (a lizard and some little blue flowers that turned out to be Desert Larkspur). Somehow, we have scaled down our desert walks. Instead of going all over the rocks and mounds of sand, we crouched over a plant with orange flowers, trying to figure out its name.

Now we were ready to roll along the road, stopping for photos as the scene changed. Chip has already printed his photos and written a scrapbook/journal. He has been traveling to a lot of interesting places in the past couple of years, and he makes a journal for each trip. They make very good reading and viewing. We have also bought books for this, but they don’t get the owner’s attention that his do. However, our exposure to his work did cause us to consider writing Volume IX of our memoirs, which will be the past 19 years. The problem is that we have always had significant starting and stopping points, but this one has only the first requirement. I guess we’d better get moving, before an unpleasant stopping point catches up with us.

Back to Joshua Tree - the ocotillo was also in bloom (little red blossoms on long skinny branches), and the cholla (cactus) looked in good shape. We made sure to view a few good rocks, but we elected not to go by the place named Jumbo Rocks, which would add 10-20 miles to this trip, because Chip had invited us to go to a restaurant for dinner.

Back at Redlands, we got our first ride in a Prius. We were proud to see that he owned a Prius, which he has enjoyed for two years. Our last concern as to whether this would be a good car for us was deleted by our ride. The car is very roomy inside, in spite of its sleek exterior. The food was delicious and the service very good at his chosen restaurant, which we had never visited. It was a nice treat, and we also had a good meal from the leftovers a couple of days later.

Before we left Redlands on Friday morning, Chip picked us a few of his navel oranges. He was reluctant to give us these, because he said they tasted a little stale. The trees had already blossomed for the next crop and were covered with little green baby oranges. But when I asked if it would be all right for me to pick one, he brought us a bag of oranges and grapefruit. The sliced orange looked fine, but of course he would know, so I didn’t get my hopes up too high. Well, the first bite had me soaring into the atmosphere with happiness. It was the best orange I ever recall eating! It was at least 200% better than the ones we get here. Our poor things are bred for long distance rides when not quite ripe, so they aren’t even on the same scale as his “stale” ones. I will continue to eat what is available here, but each bite will remind me of Chip’s beautiful, tasty Redlands oranges.



WHITTIER AREA REVISITED
Bob Murdock


After delightful visits with relatives in San Diego and Redlands, the next stop in our May 2006 California odyssey was Whittier, home for Ian and Becky, Meredith, and Natalie. Visiting was easy because I&B lived next door to Meredith in a lovely garden-style apartment complex with a duck pond and a swimming pool. Natalie, who lives further north in Whittier, stopped by often; and we saw Sean frequently too. He resides in Bell Gardens.

Becky, bless her heart, let us have her bedroom for the four nights we were there. “Stay as long as you like, anytime!” she said. Our visit included Mother’s Day (May 14) which we celebrated with a sumptuous meal at home, along with gifts for Becky and Nancy. The previous day (Saturday) we celebrated Mer’s upcoming 40th birthday and my 80th by having dinner at a favorite venue, Whittier’s Olive Garden. For lunch that day some of us had feasted at Mexico 1900 - so plenty of doggie bags ended up in the refrigerator.

We enjoyed meeting Sean’s girlfriend, Patricia Fonseca. She is a bright young lady who smiles all the time and resembles a young Marissa, Sean’s late mother. Should we be surprised?

Soon after we had come to the apartment complex, Meredith said, “I need Ian’s help with something beside the trash bin.” They disappeared and came back with a computer desk, complete with a superstructure of shelves. Somebody had discarded it! Mer had also acquired a perfectly good computer chair, from another source. She is some opportunist!

Ian is between jobs since his employer closed the business. So he was available (and eager) to go with us one day to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) on Wilshire Blvd. It turned out to be a worthwhile visit. We parked at a meter two blocks from the entrance, and for $1.25 we stayed as long as we needed to. Nancy and I were bushed after two hours of visiting all our old favorite artworks, but Ian was able to stay longer and see some of his favorites in the Modern Art building. In another building I saw some of mine, including “Coney Island Beach” and “Cliff Dwellers.” We all enjoyed the special display of Gustave Klimt paintings.

Natalie found a vegetarian restaurant for us, “The Veggie Bistro” in Whittier. There wasn’t a thing on the menu we couldn’t eat. Then she showed us her apartment nearby, which she shares with her friend Anabel. Natt’s walls are adorned with photos of lots of musicians, while Anabel features Marilyn Monroe.



VISITS AROUND THE L.A. AREA
Nancy Murdock


On Monday evening we drove to West Covina, where we were invited to dinner at a Mexican restaurant with my cousin Claudia Lindsay (Clyde Howlett’s daughter), her husband Dennis, daughter Marti, and granddaughter Isabeau. It was a fine evening, and we enjoyed the not-too-busy restaurant. Isabeau was definitely taken with the balloon she was given, which ended up at the low ceiling several times, only to pulled down by its very long ribbon. We had the leftover enchiladas another day. (Do you get the impression we don’t throw away much food?)

After a pleasant visit back at their house, we drove “home” to Whittier. Becky and Ian were very understanding about our flitting around.

Tuesday we had lunch with three of our good church friends from Downey days: Barbara, Vi, and Marion. Our destination this time was the Olive Garden in Downey. It was a blessing that Barbara kindly picked us up, as we would have been circling the mall area in our search for the restaurant. Ian, who had walked us to the pickup point, broke into a big smile and gave her a big hug when he spotted Barbara.

The young, attentive waiter at the Olive Garden did very well by us. He was understanding when the other two guests were quite late in arriving, even though telephone messages had gone around among the trio of ladies that morning. We had a perfect table - a round one in one corner, where we could see everything and be comfortable with no one nearby needing attention. We had a great chance to catch up on our families, work situations (I am the only one still working), church (all of us are deeply involved in church, but I am the only one still attending an Episcopal church), and houses (I am the only one who doesn’t own a house).

Finally, when an hour and a half had gone by, we decided to order without waiting for the final arrival, who came soon afterward. After we were finished and I had the bill, Marion decided to treat us to dessert. I gave the kind waiter a decent but not extravagant tip for serving us so well for THREE HOURS. A few minutes later, he came and crouched down beside me, saying, “Thank you for the generous tip.” I couldn’t believe this! Any other waiter would have been grinding his teeth at not being able to turn the table over to another group. I told him I’d like to adopt him, but he said I was too late. He had already been adopted as a baby, and he was pretty sure his parents wouldn’t agree to give him up.

It really was wonderful to see everyone. Meri, who was working, probably would have enjoyed joining us, as she used to be around when the group met at our house for Bible study. Bob was very pleased to catch up with them all. They are all busy women, which is what he is used to.



HEADING UP THE COAST
Nancy Murdock


After a late start from Whittier, we headed up the coast to Redwood City, by way of many, many happy memories. We have always loved that route, so we gave a nod to some of our favorites and actually stopped briefly at a few.

Winding North: After a big, delicious lunch at Denny’s in San Luis Obispo, we found our way onto Route 1 North. That seemed as if we were nearly there. However, we reckoned without the narrow, winding road that goes on and on, and is so scenic that I had to force myself to remember not to let the steering wheel get out of hand as I oohed and aahed. The saving grace was that we were going north, and since the sea was west of us, we could rejoice in the hillsides to our right and tell ourselves we were in safe territory. The other side of the road, although it had been carefully mended in some places, had spots where it looked as if driving near the edge would crumble the road and send you down the cliffs to a messy death.

Limekiln: We didn’t stop often, not even for Morro Bay or Big Sur, since we had to trek on while it was still daylight. But we did get some nice pictures at one or two beaches. Our major stop was at Limekiln State Beach, which we had promised Ian we would do. This used to be known as Limekiln Beach Redwoods when it was privately owned, and we spent several summer vacations there. We got shots of each of the campsites that looked most like the ones we had used, but the place has changed over the years, just like us. I didn’t see a speck of jade or jasper rocks, which used to come in on the tide and be available to pick for free.

There are still campsites near the beach, but they don’t look suitable for a tent, and they state that one cannot camp on the beach. It was more fun when we were ushered to the beach by the manager and told to park our tent by the water where the oystercatcher bird was seen the day before. And the anise flowers are gone, along with the outhouse that they stood near. You have to walk up to the larger shower/bathroom, still easy to find by the brook/river. We didn’t have time for the long walk by the river or up to the limekilns. But it was $5.00 well spent to take this 30-minute trip down memory lane. Every time I turned around, I could see Ian climbing a questionably safe rock, or Meri sleeping in the car so the bears wouldn’t get her. It made me a little misty-eyed.

A Few Pictures of Hillsides: As we got farther north, we saw gorgeous hillsides on both sides of the road. I stopped to get a couple of shots of one particularly beautiful one. A Caltrans truck that had stopped to help a driver ahead of us stopped by us now. I rolled down the window and said, “Sorry! I couldn’t resist taking a photo of this beautiful scene!” “The next one is even prettier,” he said, as he waved and drove on. As we passed the next one, Bob remarked, “He was right!” But I did resist, since it was similar, and vehicles were getting more noticeable. I guess even in a place as lovely as Paradise, commuter traffic is a given.

On to Monterrey: Bob had obtained a reservation at Motel 6 in Monterrey, and the light was fading fast as we drove near Point Lobos State Reserve, one of our prime targets for this northern part of our vacation. But we stopped anyway, hoping to get a glimpse. We drove into the driveway, only to see a chain across, giving the hours it was available, closing 15 minutes before our arrival.

So we went on, and arrived at the hotel at 8:34. After trekking all our necessary stuff upstairs, we went to dinner at Denny’s across the street. No need to drive. By now we were a little too familiar with the menu, but it was convenient, and there was no microwave in our hotel room to heat up leftovers accumulated along the way. The hotel’s bathtub faucet ran a steady little stream of hot water all night, but I couldn’t figure how to call the staff about it, so we shut the door and went to sleep. It had been a long day, particularly as I had done a lot of driving in the L.A. area cities and on the winding places.

In the morning we packed up and ate breakfast at Grandma’s Kitchen, where the pancakes and omelettes were filling if not exciting. We were only 6 miles from Point Lobos and eager to see all before time to drive to Val’s house in Redwood City.

Point Lobos: It was a treat we had looked forward to for years. Our last prior trip may have been when we took Jerod, age about 13. As we should expect, the shoreline was not exactly the same, but there was a whole host of schoolchildren on a field trip. So it definitely took me back to our day with Jerod.

I had bought some more film at one of our stops, but I still had to be cautious, as there were way too many photo ops. We stayed together at first, but gradually we were drawn to our own favored spots. Bird Island was very easy to identify, but I missed (3 times!) getting a shot of a line of cormorants or brown pelicans, as they headed for their roosting places.

I wanted to see China Cove and the rock with a natural arch, so I climbed the footpath upwards. Just as I was giving up, I turned slightly and found both! China Cove in my memories was so clear, clean, and green, with a white sand beach. Now it has lots of kelp, but the colors are still close to what I recalled. My watercolor painting of the natural rock bridge, which I never felt was good enough, looks better to me now after seeing the real scene, which was dark and overgrown with nearby branches.

A little down the way, I had the pleasure of seeing a whole lot of sea lions (or otters) resting on the rocks. Some small sea otters kept bravely trying to get onto the big, wide rock, which caused the large, bad-tempered residents to tell them there was no room at the inn. Apparently accustomed to this lack of hospitality, they just went around the rock until they could find a spot that was lower to the water and had a resting place. The smallest one then put its head on the shoulder of one of the big ones, which made me nervous. But I guess it was Mama, since he got only one brief command to get off, which he ignored.

I think I did see the tree I called “Lone Pine” in my painting of many years ago, but it was no longer alone, so it didn’t have the same effect. Now I want to spend some money and get “Lone Pine” framed and hung. I found more interest than previously in the different flowers on this reserve. The map named a few, but maybe the next time, I will go armed with a better reference. I have developed some curiosity about what makes certain plants grow where they do. These plants were not as specific to the place as the ones at Joshua Tree National Park, but they were quite lush in their groupings.

I can’t help hoping that the children on that field trip may develop a desire to protect this wild place and others they may come upon as the years go by. They seemed to enjoy particularly running over the dunes and digging in the sandy dirt, so maybe they will remember their day with fondness.

I know I will!



FINAL STOP - REDWOOD CITY!
Nancy Murdock


We got all the way to Redwood City with no problem, but then we got lost right in Val’s neighborhood. Somehow we missed the turn at the grocery store and ended up circling like a plane waiting to land. Finally we stopped in some shade and dialed her phone. She gave us easy directions, and we ended up at her street. But were we actually there? The houses looked quite different from all the other times we’d visited her. Turrets, stone mansions, new roofs - what should we do? Fortunately, we recognized her driveway.

Later, she and her friend Larry Smith, who lives across the driveway, told us that the price of houses had risen so far that the buyers were going all out to make the houses look the way they should look for the price paid. As a result, Larry, dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, was stopped by a policeman one dark night when he was riding home on his motorcycle. He was asked where he was going. “Home,” said Larry, who has actually lived in that area all his life. “I don’t think so,” said the patrolman. So Larry had to show his drivers license to be allowed to drive home.

In keeping with her new eating lifestyle, Val introduced us to some interesting meals. We had her own recipe for lunch, involving very large whole-grain wraps. She used canned organic pinto beans and slices of lightly cooked butternut squash. After assembling them, I browned the roll-ups in the frying pan. We have decided to buy the makings for this the next time Bob gets to a specialty store. She served this with a red and green salad, lightly dressed. It was just the kind of meal we needed, after all those gigantic, heavy restaurant meals the day before.

It’s always fun to see how our kids are living. Val is still decorating minimally and beautifully, which she showed some taste for in her teens. We couldn’t help being pleased to see where she had hung quilts and paintings we had given her over the years. Her favorite placemats are the butterfly ones I made the first year I started quilting. I guess the fabric was more durable than what I select now!

She has two aquariums in the dining room, both very clean and well appointed. One contains only a goldfish she bought many years ago for a quarter, when it was the size of a quarter. He is now a regal fellow with a beautifully swishing tail, and he takes up nearly the full length of his home. Since he is blind, she has cleverly developed a way to get him to enjoy his feeding process. She uses something that looks like a wire gravy whisk, hitched to a plastic plant. She holds it up near the water aerator and drops specially purchased food down through it. He knows the sound of that setup and is ready, with his head stuck up into the whisk and lips moving, as she sends down the first few grains. To encourage him to root in the rocks at the bottom of the aquarium, she also drops a different food that doesn’t dissolve fast. He is one contented fish.

The tropical fish in the second aquarium also get good attention. She can tell the history of each one, including which one got depressed when his mate died. Their lights stay on all the time, to regulate the temperature of the water.

Valerie and Larry have a routine of going to their library frequently to pick up a whole shopping bagful of videos of old movies. These are mainly classic, often black and white movies. I don’t know where the library obtained this treasure, but I can tell it is being appreciated.

One evening, to celebrate Bob’s 80th birthday, we went to an Indian restaurant highly recommended by a teaching friend of Valerie. Jerod came for a visit before it was time to leave, and then he drove us all in his spacious new SUV. I do enjoy not being the one to have to find a parking space in unknown territory. The restaurant had very recently changed hands - and its name - so that we had not been able to make a reservation. The new name was Hyderabad, which we learned was one of the large cities in India. The restaurant had a relaxed atmosphere and a rather different list of dishes. In fact, Valerie said it was her night to have an adventure, so she ordered a dish of whole breaded chili peppers in a sauce. We had a fun time and got in a good visit around the table. The food was good, but also very plentiful. So Larry asked for two containers and neatly organized all of the leftovers into them for his future meals.

During the meal, we discovered that we had an entrepreneur with us. Jerod and two friends are knowledgeably working toward opening a new business, not to take the place of his regular job, but as a sideline. They have already taken several legal steps to make this a reality. He says that people spend a lot of money buying a computer and all the peripherals plus other entertainment items. But then they don‘t want the hassle of setting it all up to run together. So they are willing to pay top dollar for this service. Since he is VERY knowledgeable about all of this, the job should be just a matter of checking everything out and getting it together - correctly. He is the LAN and WAN overseer plus the computer Help Desk for the city of San Jose, a job extremely well suited for him. They give him opportunities for extensive training in new techniques and products. And his new car will carry anything he needs to do the setups. Bob and I were HIGHLY impressed. We look forward to hearing the next steps.



HOMEWARD BOUND
Nancy Murdock


All good vacations come to an end, even this one. We are very glad we dared the trip. It was a highly loving experience, being able to visit with so many family members and friends. It was also a big plus to visit some of our all-time favorite places.

So on Saturday morning, May 20, we started off for the Oakland Airport. It turned out that I had made a big mistake in using that airport instead of San Francisco’s, which I thought was farther from Valerie’s home. She knew we would likely get lost on the trip if we went by ourselves, so she volunteered to get us on the right track. After some heavy thinking, we decided to keep the rental car until then, rather than making a round trip to turn it in one day sooner. Unfortunately, the return spot was not at the airport.

It was a long, complicated trip through San Francisco to Berkeley to turn in the car. We were very lucky to have our guide. However, at one point we lost her in the mess of traffic around a bridge and ended up in the wrong lane - heading off the bridge into who knows where. Fortunately, we spotted a sign in the nick of time, and I pulled into a small zebra striped spot to hope for a chance to get back onto the bridge. The traffic whizzed by us, and we couldn’t catch anyone’s eye. Finally, a kind couple honked at us and motioned for us to precede them while they remained stopped. I thanked God right then and there!

Of course, we needed to fill the gas tank to avoid extra cost when we turned it in. So we got as close as possible to the Alamo station by locating it and then picking a gas station. We also filled Val’s tank, since she would have a one hundred mile round trip before her morning was over, bless her heart. The card company refused to fill my tank when Val’s was still filling, so we had to go in and talk with the station manager. Later, after we were home from the trip, we got a call from the card company, so they do keep track of oddities.

We transferred to her car for the rest of the trip to the airport, which was still a good distance away. I promised faithfully that I would use the SF Airport for any further trips!

The return trip on Southwest was, fortunately, uneventful. Of course, with my wonderful planning, we had to take a stop at Houston, but we stayed on the same plane. This wasn’t too bad, because not a whole lot of people plan to go to Baltimore through Houston, so, even with the ones who boarded at Houston, there were a dozen empty seats on the second leg.

Our friend Colleen picked us up at this end. It took a while to get our luggage, but eventually we were on our way. A certain amount of exhaustion set in, no doubt helped by the fact that we had been fed only snack foods (such as little Oreo cookies) for two mealtimes.

Before this trip, we had warned all of the family and friends that this was very possibly our last trip to California. But we are already looking forward to the next one. I took a picture of Bob and Carl climbing over the big rocks at Joshua Tree, with Bob assisted by his cane. I figure if he can enjoy this at age 80, he can enjoy it at 81. And our family and friends, bless them, have all said they hope we’ll come again. In fact, Ian is already planning a longer visit to the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art with us.



Click here for Part 2 of the May-July Murdock Muse.

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